Summary

An ongoing challenge for clinicians is to monitor disease progression while determining treatment efficacy and effects on overall patient well-being. To effectively address this question in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Drs. Jan Irvine, Gordon Guyatt, and Alba Dicenso at McMaster University, developed the IBD health-related quality of life Questionnaire (IBDQ). The IBDQ’s publication in 1989 made its mark as one of the first tools that assessed quality of life (QoL) using a validated method. Its test-retest reliability, validity, and focus on patient-reported outcomes have ultimately made the IBDQ the gold standard in IBD research. The IBDQ has been licensed out worldwide and is utilized in academic research, used to monitor patients in clinical settings, observational studies, and clinical trials led by large pharmaceutical companies. The IBDQ is available both in hardcopy and electronically and has been translated into over 115 different languages, making it one of the most widely used health-related QoL assessments for adults with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease. In addition to the full version of the IBDQ, there is also a short version (SIBDQ) containing 10 of the 32 questions. McMaster University strives to meet the QoL questionnaire needs of the research community. MILO will continue to market and support improvements in quality of life across the globe. To meet increasing demand for electronic versions of QoL Questionnaires, MILO has developed a strong relationship with translation companies to review electronic conversions in order to support this market trend. MILO is also continuing to increase the portfolio of validated translations for questionnaires.